What is Grind, or The Grind

Within a game, the process of building a character or team’s characteristics such as power, abilities or equipment by repeatedly playing and replaying similar game content is referred to as “the grind.” Game developers often start “the grind” in a segregated area where players are expected to build their most basic characters before moving on to bigger challenges such as player-versus-player tournaments. The grind is an inevitable part of building a character or team, and it must be repeated whenever offered in order to stay competitive. For example, a game may have updates periodically that allow players to move to a more competitive level, but to take advantage of those updates players will have to perform repetitive tasks such as follow “missions” or complete a certain number of “bounties” during routine play. This is a key component of a game’s compulsion loop, or the psychological mechanism that keeps gamers engaged.

Pwning Noobs for Fun and Profit: eSports and Entrepreneurship

Timothy B. Michael (University of Houston-Clear Lake, USA) and Melissa A. Williams (University of Houston-Clear Lake, USA)